Old Dominion discovers recent Strong impact on running game

(Jim Rassol)

Ed MillerThe Virginian-Pilot

You don’t have to be an aspiring investor, like Old Dominion's Kesean Strong, to run the numbers and conclude that scoring five touchdowns on a season total of just 33 carries is a high rate of return for a running back.

Strong found paydirt on the ground three times last Saturday alone — and also added a TD reception — putting him in select company in program history.

The double major in finance and business analytics joined former Monarchs greats Ray Lawry and Thomas DeMarco as the only ODU players to score four touchdowns in a game.

Strong didn’t know that until running backs coach Charles Bankins told him as he came off the practice field Wednesday.

“It’s just a blessing,” he said. “I owe it to the offensive line.”

Strong also owes his success to a trait he hopes will serve him well in a career as a real estate investor.

“It takes patience,” he said. “But it’s the most lucrative way to go.”

Strong’s been playing a long game in his football career as well, waiting his turn behind Lawry and Jeremy Cox, and taking a mid-career redshirt to deal with a lingering wrist issue before finally becoming a featured back this year.

With Cox slowed by an ankle injury, Strong was declared the starter for the season opener at Liberty. He injured a hamstring in the early going, however, and is just now getting healthy.

“He’s still not 100 percent,” coach Bobby Wilder said. “But what we showed us (last Saturday at Florida Atlantic) was impressive.”

Strong rushed for 99 yards and those three touchdowns on 21 carries. He caught six passes for 50 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown grab.

In short, he showed why Bankins calls him a “game-changer.”

Strong brought that potential to ODU from Potomac High in Oxon Hill, Md., where he was all-county as a junior and had rushed for 648 yards in just four games as a senior before breaking his wrist.

Strong’s season was over. Schools including Indiana and Maryland, which had been recruiting him, moved on to other players.

Former ODU assistant Michael Zyskowski stayed in touch, however, and it made an impression on Strong.

“I wasn’t really thinking about coming here, but Coach Z called me every day and checked on me,” Strong said. “It was that family feeling that brought me here.”

ODU's lack of depth got Strong on the field as a true freshman in 2015 as a running back, receiver and kick returner.

“He wasn’t ready,” offensive coordinator Brian Scott said. “But it was based on what we had.”

Strong played again in 2016, making his biggest impact as a kick returner. But the wrist he broke in high school still wasn’t right. A rod that had been placed in it continued to bother Strong.

With Lawry and Cox still ahead of him, coaches suggested Strong redshirt in 2017. He had the rod removed from his arm, which enabled him to train harder in the weight room. He spent last year on the scout team, giving the first-team defense fits.

“It really taught him how to practice,” Bankins said.

Added Scott: “It wasn’t just getting healthy. It was really beneficial for his maturity as well.”

Strong said that shuffling positions earlier in his career and redshirting last year have paid off this season.

“I know the offense much better now. I have a full understanding of where everybody needs to be, what needs to be going on,” he said.

Strong’s own role is multifaceted. He can line up in the backfield or as a slot receiver. At 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, he’s comfortable running between the tackles but also on the edge, where his speed and elusiveness make him dangerous.

“What we like about him most is he’s a matchup problem,” Scott said. “We’d like to do a little bit more with him, we’re just waiting until he puts a couple of games together and gets more confidence.”

Last week was a good start. With Cox again dealing with an ankle injury, Strong will get his chance Saturday against a Marshall defense that ranks 11th in the nation against the run.

“It’s been kind of a long road,” Strong said. “But this is a process, and you’ve got to enjoy the process.”